Top News:
Jonathan Chait / New York Magazine:
Liberal media's lab-leak hypothesis coverage, which treated it as a conspiracy theory and conflated it with Trump's claims, shows dangers of Twitter groupthink — Yesterday, the Biden administration promised to redouble its efforts to investigate the origin of COVID-19 …
Discussion:
David Leonhardt / New York Times: The Lab-Leak Theory — We have an explainer. — Suddenly, talk of the Wuhan lab-leak theory seems to be everywhere.
Lindsey Ellefson / The Wrap: NY Times COVID Reporter Deletes Tweet Claiming ‘Racist Roots’ of ‘Lab Leak Theory’ After Backlash
Jonathan Chait / New York Magazine: How the Liberal Media Dismissed the Lab-Leak Theory and Smeared Its Supporters
Cristiano Lima / Politico: Facebook lifts ban on posts claiming Covid-19 was man-made as Wuhan theories surge
Emily Rauhala / @emilyrauhala: Thanks to all the Internet Dads for the think pieces about how reporters ignored the lab theory. Have been reporting on this for more than a year. Conclusion since last summer has not changed: leak theory is possible, worth pursuing, but no conclusive evidence either way — so far
Jonathan Chait / @jonathanchait: Being more accurate than a pathological liar like Trump is not a high enough standard https://nymag.com/...
Jonathan Chait / @jonathanchait: I looked back at a lot of the coverage of this theory in 2020, and it was not good https://nymag.com/...
Alina Chan / @ayjchan: And in the @nytimes @DLeonhardt thanks! “From the beginning, the virus's origin has been unclear. All along, some scientists, politicians and journalists have argued that the lab-leak theory deserves consideration.” https://www.nytimes.com/...
John Pfaff / @johnfpfaff: This is a fair point, but need the other side too. Twitter gives less-heard voices access. How often has this aspect of Twitter DISRUPTED elite groupthink from coalescing around the wrong idea? This, ofc, is the counterfactual we CAN'T see: we don't see the PREVENTED errors. https://twitter.com/...
Timothy B. Lee / @binarybits: Some journalists would benefit from spending less time thinking about whether an idea is problematic and more time thinking about whether it's true. https://nymag.com/...
Breitbart: Democrats Support Calls for Wuhan Lab Coronavirus Investigation as Joe Biden Just Canceled DOJ's Probe
Matthew Yglesias / Slow Boring: The media's lab leak fiasco
Jeremy Barr / Washington Post:
In a meeting with staff, AP execs said they made mistakes in Emily Wilder's firing and tried to reassure staffers that AP will protect them from threats online — The news service is facing criticism and internal dissent for terminating a junior staffer based on her social media activity.
Discussion:
@elaheizadi, @jeremymbarr, @jeremymbarr, Newser, New York Post, Associated Press, @tomwatson, @froomkin, @dannypage, @jessicahuseman, @sulliview, @amyalex63, @clintonyates, @petersterne, @juliareinstein, @clintonyates, @clintonyates, @tamerelg, @dancow, PRESS RUN, @karnythia, @soledadobrien, @kimmasters, @felicitybarr, @samthielman, @amybwang, @jdawsey1, @kainazamaria, @jayrosen_nyu, @brooklynmarie, @scottgordonwi, @clintonyates, @clintonyates, @wesleylowery, @clintonyates, The Hill and Mediaite
Discussion:
Elahe Izadi / @elaheizadi: Associated Press tells staff it made mistakes in firing of Emily Wilder https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ... via @jeremymbarr
Jeremy Barr / @jeremymbarr: AP employees were also told today that Emily Wilder was fired not for a specific tweet but because of her “ body of tweets.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
Jeremy Barr / @jeremymbarr: During a town hall meeting today, several managers at the Associated Press acknowledged that they made mistakes in how they handled the firing of Emily Wilder. “We failed to initially see this as more than an HR issue,” an assistant managing editor said https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
John Johnson / Newser: AP Admits It Mishandled Firing of Young Reporter
Joshua Rhett Miller / New York Post: AP acknowledges ‘mistakes’ made in firing of Emily Wilder
Edward Helmore / Associated Press: Associated Press vows to defend staff against online attacks after Emily Wilder firing
Tom Watson / @tomwatson: Man, these @AP editors still sound like such weasels! Incredible that a “big” news organization would cave to a right wing mob and now just dissemble furiously whilst backpedaling shamelessly - all to preserve *their own* jobs. What a hideous episode. https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
Dan Froomkin / @froomkin: This is spin, not regret, not reversal. “Managing editor Brian Carovillano called them ‘mistakes of process, and not of outcome.’ He said it was still ‘the right decision’ to fire Wilder.” https://twitter.com/...
Danny Page / @dannypage: AP say they made “mistakes in process, not in outcome” but have the gall to say they would protect other staffers if the same happened to them? Highly doubtful. https://twitter.com/...
Jessica Huseman / @jessicahuseman: The AP is readily telling its staff they had no idea that firing a person for old tweets would impact the rest of the staff, and if that is not a gigantic, alarm bell of managerial failure idk what is. https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
Amy Alexander / @amyalex63: Meh. Insufficient, especially given that #EmilyWilder said the @AP assured her before hiring her that her social posts weren't an issue. I'll ask again: Where is the AP CEO on this? I know Gary Pruitt to be an exemplary 1A lawyer + advocate. 🧐 https://twitter.com/...
@clintonyates: this all just reads like “our bad, we didnt think people would care and tbf why should we have amirite” yeah nah. that's just not what's up in terms of anything that invovles critical thinking imo. just one journo's opinion.
@petersterne: The AP is not sorry it fired Wilder. It's sorry that it got criticized for doing so. The company wants to assure its staff that it has their back, but it very clearly doesn't. https://twitter.com/...
Julia Reinstein / @juliareinstein: perhaps more notably than my anger at how Emily was treated is my genuine disbelief at how stupidly this was handled. like, I thought you guys were supposed to be smart? how did more than even one person think this was a half-good idea?? https://twitter.com/...
@clintonyates: the whole issue is that the “standards” for people whose literal job it is to help tell folks what other people do and think, are absurd. to say it's just a social media policy matter is a stunningly short sighted view on what the entire purpose of all this is, industrywise
@clintonyates: there are a couple wows in this story, beyond the initial concern about why Emily was fired in the first place. I'll explain. https://twitter.com/...
Tamer El-Ghobashy / @tamerelg: News orgs expect their reporters to ask hard questions and callout spin. But when faced with hard questions by their own staff, they spin without shame. https://twitter.com/...
Dan Nguyen / @dancow: How are you an adult in the year 2021 — nevermind the Washington DC BUREAU CHIEF — and you're saying something this clueless and pathetic? https://twitter.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Eric Boehlert / PRESS RUN: How the press needs to deal with Marjorie Taylor Greene
Soledad O'Brien / @soledadobrien: Good thread: https://twitter.com/...
Kim Masters / @kimmasters: True but this should be so painfully obvious, it hurts physically. https://twitter.com/...
Felicity Barringer / @felicitybarr: Wise analysis of what AP failed to recognize when they caved to a social media mob and fired @vv1lder Opinion | The Real Problem With the AP's Firing of Emily Wilder https://www.politico.com/... via @politico @courtdouglas4 @BGrueskin @mwfreivogel
@samthielman: Really feels like the Washington Post poaching Susan Buzbee means nobody's driving the bus! https://twitter.com/...
Amy B Wang / @amybwang: Read this expecting the senior managers to have expressed some contrition about the decision to fire Wilder and... got something else entirely. https://twitter.com/...
Kainaz Amaria / @kainazamaria: “Julie Pace, the AP's Washington bureau chief and assistant managing editor, told employees that the company failed to anticipate the ramifications of terminating an entry-level news associate who had only worked there for a few weeks.” 🤔 https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
Jay Rosen / @jayrosen_nyu: In a staff meeting Wednesday, @AP leadership said it made the right call in firing Emily Wilder, but failed to realize that this was a much bigger deal than a violation of its social media policy. https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ... “We'll have your back when you face threats online.” 10/
Brooke Binkowski / @brooklynmarie: They still don't appear to be acknowledging that they fell for a disinformation campaign, which is concerning. That's part of our job as journalists https://twitter.com/...
Scott Gordon / @scottgordonwi: If you are dumber than a bag of hammers, I guarantee you can make it as a media exec https://twitter.com/...
@clintonyates: And it aint lost on anyone that this is just one person and one job, while folks, particular non-white ones get thrown over the side ROUTINELY for stuff like this with nothing close to this kind of concern overall. it doesnt have to be a cold game if people dont want it to be
@clintonyates: secondly, the HUGE wow in terms of just a basic misunderstanding of what the words “social” and “media” both mean, nvm together and this is where journos who say things like “twitter isnt real” just out themselves as absurd. Like any community, it's as real as you want it to be https://twitter.com/...
Wesley / @wesleylowery: The “We didn't think anyone would care that we mistreated this person cause they are young an unimportant” framing of an ostensible apology is truly a lovely touch https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
@clintonyates: to start, this is extremely institutionally arrogant thing to include in an apology. Of course the ramifications weren't considered. That's the whole problem the insinuation that it was reasonable to expect that no one would care based on their own concept of importance is wild https://twitter.com/...
Jordan Williams / The Hill: Associated Press admits fault in firing of journalist targeted by conservatives: report
RELATED:
Janine Zacharia / Politico:
The most urgent issue in Emily Wilder's firing is that a reporter was targeted in order to create the perception that AP is biased against Israel, and AP caved — When one young journalist was fired, the incident revealed a problem deeper than bad social media policies.
Discussion:
Margaret Sullivan / Washington Post: Emily Wilder's firing is a story of bad faith, not bad tweets. Newsrooms must do better.
Mathew Ingram / Columbia Journalism Review: Facebook and the dilemma of coordinated inauthentic behavior
Glenn Kessler / @glennkesslerwp: Few people in journalism are smarter on how disinformation affects newsroom behavior than @janinezacharia. She hits the nail on the head here. Newsroom managers need to be aware they being played. https://www.politico.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Wes Wilson / @weswilson4: I admittedly wasn't very knowledgeable about the Emily Wilder story before this op-ed. The op-ed from Wilder's Stanford journalism school professor is worth a read though. https://www.politico.com/...
Guygrimshaw / First Draft: The disinformation campaign against AP's Emily Wilder
Zuri Berry / @zuriberry: Excellent column on how news orgs need to combat disinformation campaigns https://www.politico.com/...
Joseph Wulfsohn / Fox News: Associated Press bosses admit to staff ‘mistakes’ were made in ousting of Emily Wilder: report
Nathaniel Gleicher / @ngleicher: Influence Ops are not just the domain of foreign gov'ts, and journalists are definitely targets. This is a good analysis of why that matters and what we can all learn by applying this principle. #IOisnotjustforgovts https://twitter.com/...
Ariel Bogle / @arielbogle: A worthwhile thread on how reporters may be targeted with campaigns of harassment and disinformation and how newsrooms should react. Strange AP didn't question why a reporter in AZ was being targeted for Middle East coverage, for starters? One playbook: https://cyber.fsi.stanford.edu/ ... https://twitter.com/...
Erik Wemple / Washington Post:
Emily Wilder was wronged by AP editors, who were less concerned with work product than about “appearances”, defined by groups like Stanford College Republicans
Discussion:
@sopandeb, Vox, Poynter, @jennycohn1, @donmoyn, @moorehn, @jackvand, @eliselabott, Class War Daily, @shefalil, @chrchristensen, @rtyson82, @ashtonpittman, @aaronwherry, @jeremymbarr, @yelix, @akilahobviously, @davidfolkenflik, @jayrosen_nyu, @theferocity, Vanity Fair, @kimmasters, @david_c_steele, @mgerrydoyle, @emmadaly, @dankennedy_nu, @jayrosen_nyu, @parrillaga, @janinezacharia, @cdelshad, @brettmmurphy, @penenberg and New York Times
Discussion:
Sopan Deb / @sopandeb: Emily Wilder tells @ErikWemple that an AP editor admonished her for having “Black lives matter” in her Twitter bio. She “promptly removed it.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ... https://twitter.com/...
Jennifer Cohn / @jennycohn1: .@AP tells @AP that it effed up. 1/ https://twitter.com/...
Don Moynihan / @donmoyn: The general impression here is that AP just responds to criticism without any clear underlying policies or principles. Smear campaign against reporter: fire her Staff are upset: We hear you! We made mistakes - but it was still right to fire her. https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
Heidi N. Moore / @moorehn: If it was a mistake why are they not rehiring her https://twitter.com/...
Jackie Vandinther / @jackvand: Smart read by @janinezacharia on convos every newsroom should be having right now. https://www.politico.com/...
Elise Labott / @eliselabott: The most urgent issue in Wilder's dismissal:a reporter was targeted by a disinformation campaign-in this case,by people who took issue with Wilder's pro-Palestinian views—and rather than recognizing it as such, her employer, the AP,essentially caved to it https://www-politico-com.cdn.ampproject .org/ ...
Shefali Luthra / @shefalil: journalism is long overdue for self-examination about who dictates the parameters of “objectivity,” and what people even mean by it https://twitter.com/...
Christian Christensen / @chrchristensen: Just like when Black journalists in Sweden who signed a letter against structural racism at Swedish Radio were banned from covering racism because they couldn't remain “neutral.” https://twitter.com/...
@rtyson82: AP editor: “we must maintain objectivity and allow for the possibility that Black lives don't matter” https://twitter.com/...
Ashton Pittman / @ashtonpittman: “(AP management) said it was toeing the line of objectivity” for Emily Wilder to have the words “Black lives matter” in her Twitter bio, she says. Newsrooms that want reporters to be “objective” about whether or not Black lives matter are racist. This is “colorblind racism.” https://twitter.com/...
Aaron Wherry / @aaronwherry: “They are privileging “appearances” over their own work product. And they fail to recognize that those “appearances” are orchestrated by people who are preying on misunderstandings about the making of a news product: It is done by people, not robots.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
Jeremy Barr / @jeremymbarr: Janine Zacharia (@janinezacharia) on how the Associated Press should deal with bad-faith attacks: “They're going to have to have some cojones when the James O'Keefes and the Stanford College Republicans come after their journalists.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
Urdnot Gex / @yelix: this is an amazing way to ensure nobody wants to work for you https://twitter.com/...
Akilah Hughes / @akilahobviously: Does the @AP think it's not objective to say that Black Lives Matter? Because... https://twitter.com/...
David Folkenflik / @davidfolkenflik: Ex WaPo mideast correspondent and former Emily Wilder prof at Stanford https://twitter.com/...
Jay Rosen / @jayrosen_nyu: Highly recommended analysis of @AP's decision to fire Emily Wilder. By @janinezacharia who is: her teacher at Stanford, a journalist with long experience in the Middle East, and a student of disinformation campaigns. Uniquely positioned to teach the AP. https://www.politico.com/... 9/ https://twitter.com/...
Saeed Jones / @theferocity: So, AP believes that “black lives matter” is an opinion as opposed to a fact? Good to know, I guess. https://twitter.com/...
Joe Pompeo / Vanity Fair: “Striking and Unprecedented”: With Controversial Firing, the Associated Press Is Thrust Into the Social Media Maelstrom
David Steele / @david_c_steele: How that reckoning in the aftermath of George Floyd is going https://twitter.com/...
Gerry Doyle / @mgerrydoyle: more great explanation of how the ap dropped the ball, and then lost the ball down a drain https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
@emmadaly: How @AP wronged Emily Wilder - by @ErikWemple “I don't know how they could possibly say I had bias because I hadn't done a bit of reporting and my reporting in the past speaks to my ability to be fair & accurate & critical & fact-based” - @evWilder https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ... https://twitter.com/...
Dan Kennedy / @dankennedy_nu: The AP made Emily Wilder remove “Black Lives Matter” from her Twitter bio because — why? Because the idea that Black lives matter, too, is political and controversial? Good Lord. She's since restored it. https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
Jay Rosen / @jayrosen_nyu: By @ErikWemple, Washington Post: “One... editors at large news organizations quake when right-wing actors target their colleagues; and two, publishers' concerns over ethical appearances and perceptions are reaching irrationality.” 8/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
Pauline Arrillaga / @parrillaga: “It wasn't a fireable offense,” Emily Wilder's former professor at Stanford, @janinezacharia, tells the Post's @ErikWemple in a thought-provoking column. https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
@janinezacharia: Great piece on @vv1lder, @ErikWemple. “Having opinions on foreign crises — or having participated in college activism on such issues — is not a conflict. It is, rather, a set of beliefs, or a personal intellectual history. (1/2) https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
@cdelshad: “ABC News and the AP are in lockstep: They are privileging “appearances” over their own work product. And they fail to recognize that those “appearances” are orchestrated by people who are preying on misunderstandings about the making of a news product” https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
Brett Murphy / @brettmmurphy: “Having opinions on foreign crises — or having participated in college activism on such issues — is not a conflict. It is, rather, a set of beliefs, or a personal intellectual history. Every sentient being has opinions.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
Adam L. Penenberg / @penenberg: “The news leaders said sharing more information was difficult: the company does not publicly discuss personnel issues to protect the privacy of staff.” That's a BS excuse. The reporter has begged the org to explain. Separate note: I guess I've blown my chance to work at the AP. https://twitter.com/...
Paul Vieira / Wall Street Journal:
Canada weighs a measure that would require Netflix, Spotify, YouTube, TikTok, and others to use part of their revenue to fund Canadian shows, movies, and music — Bill would force video-sharing platforms to feature more Canadian artists; critics call it an attack on free speech
Discussion:
Norman Spector / @nspector4: A spokeswoman for YouTube said the video-sharing website is concerned about the policy's unintended consequences, such as the impact it might have on Canadian content creators trying to reach a global audience. https://www.wsj.com/... #cdnpoli #cdnmedia
Matthew Yglesias / @mattyglesias: Canadian Content rules for radio stations incubated what became the Canadian indie rock boom of the aughts and I'm sure they can do great things with TikTok too. https://twitter.com/...
Corina Diaz / @corecorina: I'm not a fan of can-con regs, personally. Fund Canadian content, then let it rise to the top imo. https://twitter.com/...
@blob_watcher: Why is this cultural protectionism even necessary? CAN is an Anglo country that is indistinguishable from the US except to other Anglos. How many people even know that Drake or Justin Bieber are Canadian? This is an artificial-feeling attempt at promoting Canadian identity. https://twitter.com/...
Liz Perle / @lizperle: The Canadian gov supports their artists (at least, more than the U.S. x100). Especially when we're talking about music, Canadian musicians have mandated extra radio time - which is how they get a lot of big artist proliferation in the states. This is on brand and honestly great. https://twitter.com/...
Jim Waterson / The Guardian:
UK government to restart the recruitment process for an Ofcom chair after panel rejected frontrunner Paul Dacre, ex-Daily Mail editor, giving him another chance — Government starts process from scratch, allowing PM's favoured candidate second chance at job
Discussion:
Christopher Hope / Telegraph: Ofcom race to be rerun as big tech fights to block ex-Daily Mail editor Paul Dacre
Christopher Mathias / HuffPost:
A writer whose posts about detective novels appeared in Vice and The Atlantic used pen names to post white nationalist screeds online and at sites like VDare — Benjamin Welton uses pen names to write racist articles. He's also a teacher, PhD student, and freelance writer for major media outlets.
Discussion:
Christopher Mathias / @letsgomathias: NEW: A Massachusetts elementary school teacher was fired today after his double life as a white nationalist writer was exposed. He used pen names to write for extremist sites (AmRen, VDARE) and his real name to write for major outlets (Atlantic, Vice) https://www.huffpost.com/...
Joy-Ann / @joyannreid: But the real danger is kids learning the truth about slavery and its aftermath, amirite? https://twitter.com/...
Don Moynihan / @donmoyn: “Like many conservatives, Welton has expressed anger about the teaching of “critical race theory” in American schools. Last August, shortly before he began teaching at the Star Academy, he tweeted...that a return to American greatness “requires defunding critical race theory."" https://twitter.com/...
Christopher Mathias / @letsgomathias: His articles for The Atlantic and Vice were about esoteric spy and detective novels. In his articles for The Weekly Standard and The Daily Caller he did not hide his fascist sympathies. The Daily Caller piece is particularly disgusting. https://www.huffpost.com/...
Molly Jong-Fast / @mollyjongfast: How does this keep happening? It's a mystery! https://twitter.com/...
Christopher Mathias / @letsgomathias: also worth mentioning that this white nationalist was in the military. Welton enlisted in the Navy Reserves 2011, working in the naval military police, and left the service in 2018, a Navy spokesperson confirmed. He received a Pistol Marksmanship Ribbon. https://www.huffpost.com/...
@kittystryker: This is the “think of the children”, “indoctrination to an unsavory lifestyle” people should be giving a fuck about tbh https://twitter.com/...
Luke O'Brien / @lukeobrien: Doxing is a term that bad actors on the political right have distorted to attack anyone who exposes crypto-fascists. A better term for this type of accountability reporting is “public service.” Unless, of course, you prefer having white nationalists teaching your kids. https://twitter.com/...
Christopher Mathias / @letsgomathias: Welton has recently started to generate interest and relationships with some major far right figures, including Bronze Age Pervert & Matt Forney. He also recently published a book with white nationalist publishing house Antelope Hill, using a pseudonym. https://www.huffpost.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Christopher Mathias / @letsgomathias: NEW: Benjamin Welton uses pen names to write for white nationalist sites, generating interest from major far right figures. He's also a teacher, @BU_Tweets PhD student, & freelance writer for major media. Today he got fired from a Mass. elementary school https://www.huffpost.com/...
The Guardian:
Naomi Osaka says she won't speak to French Open press as it's a burden on players' mental health; many tournaments require players to speak to media or be fined — - Osaka says news conferences put unfair burden on players — 'I'm not going to subject myself to people that doubt me'
Discussion:
@naomiosaka, USA Today, CNN, Insider, @sifill_ldf, @danwolken, @hbryant42, @jemelehill, @ajrod, @hbryant42, @hbryant42, @hbryant42, @christophclarey, Fox News, Sports Illustrated and TMZ.com
Discussion:
Mike D. Sykes / USA Today: Naomi Osaka is skipping press at the French Open to protect her mental health and that's OK
Sinéad Baker / Insider: Naomi Osaka says she will not speak to the press during the French Open, saying it harms her mental health
Sherrilyn Ifill / @sifill_ldf: I do like what this smart, aware young athlete is doing with her platform. https://twitter.com/...
Dan Wolken / @danwolken: Odd take. American media barely covers tennis. The only narratives on Naomi Osaka have been overwhelmingly positive, aside from her clay court record, which is poor. https://twitter.com/...
Full Dissident / @hbryant42: 7) They will be the executive producers of their documentaries, bankrolled by their corporate partners, and anything independent, dissenting to their narrative will be considered an attack, an intrusion. Outside of press conferences, LeBron only appears on platforms he controls.
Jemele Hill / @jemelehill: Another reason the lack of diversity in media is a big problem. Not saying this drives her decision, but minority athletes are predominately covered by white journalists. They drive their narratives. There are some great journalists, but there's also huge cultural disconnects. https://twitter.com/...
Angel Rodriguez / @ajrod: Not sure what issues Naomi has dealt with specifically but just look at the early coverage of Richard, Venus and Serena Williams in some newspapers and you can understand some of the reasoning. https://twitter.com/...
Full Dissident / @hbryant42: 9) In tennis, the press conferences are generally the only access most reporters have to the athletes. The locker rooms aren't open to all media. So, regardless of her intent, Osaka has cut herself off to public access, to questioning not of her liking.
Full Dissident / @hbryant42: 2) American sports have not worked like this since before the 1920s. The press was instrumental in growing the game. It was the conduit between a nascent business and the public. In return for the free advertising for the league, the players would discuss their performance.
Full Dissident / @hbryant42: 4) All that is different now. The sports industry is firmly established and thus interviewing is an annoyance to players unless they are selling/branding. They see movie stars free of daily media, so why must they partake in a ritual they believe no longer serves them?
Christopher Clarey / @christophclarey: Not many players on tour could afford to risk a $20,000 fine after every match. Naomi Osaka, at this stage, is one of the few. From the 2021 Grand Slam rule book: https://twitter.com/...
Daniel Canova / Fox News: Naomi Osaka says she won't speak to media at French Open
New York Times:
Amazon paid a premium over other potential MGM buyers, including Apple and Comcast, to bolster Prime when old-line studios are less willing to license libraries — Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, while diminished, commanded a premium price, with Amazon seeking to bolster its crucial Prime membership offering.
Discussion:
Variety, BBC, @shiraovide, Get Wit Quick, ComingSoon.net, Engadget, New Republic, Transistori, ScreenRant, Variety, The Wrap, Reuters, Scrawler, Forbes and The Mary Sue
Discussion:
Shira Ovide / @shiraovide: Wait, the MGM roaring lion is actually a *tiger*? I feel duped. https://www.nytimes.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Benjamin Errett / Get Wit Quick: The roar of a goldfish — For the shrewdest analysis of Amazon's $8.45 billion acquisition …
Robert / Transistori: Amazon ostaa MGM:n, Google terveydenhuollossa ja Whatsapp vastaan Intian hallitus
Hannah Shaw-Williams / ScreenRant: What Amazon Owning James Bond Means For 007 Future | Screen Rant
Cynthia Littleton / Variety: What's Next for MGM TV and Mark Burnett After Amazon Acquisition?
Beatrice Verhoeven / The Wrap: What Happens to James Bond Franchise Once Amazon Takes Over MGM?
Ryan Lawler / Scrawler: Another day, another media acquisition
Scott Mendelson / Forbes: What Does Amazon Buying MGM Mean For James Bond?
Rachel Leishman / The Mary Sue: Amazon Bought MGM, but What About the Lion?
RELATED:
Annie Palmer / CNBC:
Amazon says it will acquire MGM Studios for $8.45B
Discussion:
Variety, Axios, Talking Biz News, @bradstone, Insider, @markdistef, Boing Boing, MediaPost, @pkafka, The Wrap, Gotrade Daily, American Prospect, @travishelwig, @deggans, @cloud_opinion, @frankpallotta, @toddbishop, @backlon, @scavendish, @bencjacobs, @dylanbyers, @jeremylittau, @brentalang, @erikdavis, @cmlindahl, @om, IndieWire, Business Wire, The Wrap, @deggans, The Information, @alexweprin, @adambnard, @sherman4949, @jesserpound, @007hertzrumble, @kevkoeser, @danprimack, @lucas_shaw, @repkenbuck, @claireatki, @ourand_sbj, @mauro_txt, @sonnybunch, @richardlai, @alexweprin, @digitalshields, @psmith, @felixsalmon, @sarafischer, @tim_stevens, @dlberes, @edmundlee, @sizpatel, @kerrymflynn, @richontech, @mattmday, @brianstelter, @kerrymflynn, @lanceulanoff, @rustybrick, @sherman4949, @thedomino, @dangrabham, @teroterotero, @stevekovach, @realbengilbert, @richontech, @stevekovach, The A.V. Club, WWD, Substack, @stevekovach, @pkafka, @pkafka, Vanity Fair, Forbes, The Under60 Daily, NPR, CNBC, Observer, AppleInsider, 9to5Mac, NBC News, Axios, Washington Post, IndieWire, Engadget, The Verge and Vox, more at Techmeme »
Discussion:
Irina Slav / Talking Biz News: Amazon takes over MGM
Brad Stone / @bradstone: For the gentle folks at MGM, here are Jeff Bezos's twelve ingredients for every epic story, from the Hollywood chapter of my book Amazon Unbound. https://www.amazon.com/.... Good luck! https://twitter.com/...
Katie Canales / Insider: Amazon's $8.5 billion bet on MGM is the latest sign that tech is transforming Hollywood. Here are the biggest deals that have altered the streaming world.
Mark Di Stefano / @markdistef: Look at that IP! Bring on the reboots! 12 Angry Women! Young James Bond! Basic Instinct as anime! https://twitter.com/...
Rob Beschizza / Boing Boing: Jeff Bezos's rules for epic storytelling
Wayne Friedman / MediaPost: Amazon Inks Proposed $8.45 Billion Deal For MGM, Bolsters Amazon Studios
Peter Kafka / @pkafka: Why Amazon is paying $9 billion for MGM and James Bond https://www.vox.com/... Thing I didn't get into in this story: One reason Amazon is buying now, after looking earlier, is that MGM has cleaned itself up, and isn't weighed down by long-term deals to other distributors.
Lindsey Ellefson / The Wrap: Colbert Suggests Bezos Could Release Trump's Old ‘Apprentice’ Tapes With New MGM Deal (Video)
David Dayen / American Prospect: What Amazon's Purchase of MGM Is Really About
Eric Deggans At Npr / @deggans: That's assuming that buying MGM gives Bezos access to that footage. That all depends on what kind of deal Mark Burnett has/had with MGM. Ain't necessarily so. https://twitter.com/...
@cloud_opinion: I guess AWS DB teams are hard at work trying to rebrand Aurora as AWS DB3, in honor of Bond.
Frank Pallotta / @frankpallotta: “MGM is really the story of Hollywood.” Amazon buying MGM, a classic studio known for The Wizard of Oz and Leo the Lion, is just the latest example of the studio being tossed around in another Hollywood sea change. Here's a brief history of MGM. https://www.cnn.com/...
@toddbishop: Jeff Bezos on MGM deal at $AMZN annual meeting: “MGM has a vast deep catalog of much beloved intellectual property, and with the talented people at MGM and Amazon Studios, we can reimagine and develop that IP for the 21st century.”
Dieter Bohn / @backlon: Well I guess Q branch devices are going to helpfully suggest James Bond buy knock off Amazon clone devices now. So long Aston Martin DB5, hello Echo lapel pin. https://twitter.com/...
Steve Cavendish / @scavendish: This is how hedge funds are destroying local news. Yesterday, this debt didn't exist. Today, to pay for the transaction, journalists will lose their jobs. How many stories won't be written about local communities, just because of this transaction? https://twitter.com/...
Ben Jacobs / @bencjacobs: Everyone who loses their job and every city that suffers without good local journalism can thank @DrPatSoonShiong for their plight https://twitter.com/...
Dylan Byers / @dylanbyers: The Broccolis have always said Bond belongs on the big screen, not in TV series or spinoffs. They appear to be holding firm to that —>> https://twitter.com/...
Jeremy Littau / @jeremylittau: That was fast. Trib papers went from zero debt to $278m in debt in one day, now news of buyouts the next day. Alden borrowed from its other papers at an exorbiant rate. They won't pay it off by growing subscribers. They'll do it by cutting news resources. https://twitter.com/...
Brent Lang / @brentalang: Doesn't sound like James Bond movies will be premiering on Amazon Prime https://variety.com/...
Erik Davis / @erikdavis: It's all about that IP... “The real financial value behind this deal is the treasure trove of IP in the deep catalog that we plan to reimagine and develop together with MGM's talented team.” https://twitter.com/...
Chris Lindahl / @cmlindahl: There has been some reporting out there that The Wizard of Oz would be under Amazon's control post-MGM deal...not true! Here's a quick rundown of the state of MGM's library after years of ownership changes and acquisitions. https://www.indiewire.com/...
@om: Amazon buys MGM for $8.5 billion. CNBC reports that the next closest bid was $6bn. The most significant part of the news is what is not news: $AMZN not even hosting a conference call with investors. It is that insignificant for a $1.6 trillion giant. 😉 https://press.aboutamazon.com/ ...
Chris Lindahl / IndieWire: ‘Gone with the Wind’ and ‘The Wizard of Oz’ Are Not Part of the Amazon-MGM Deal; Here's Why
Eric Deggans At Npr / @deggans: As a TV critic, my biggest question amid news Amazon offered 8.45 billion for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studio/media company is, where does this leave reality TV pioneer Mark Burnett, chair of MGM Television, overseer of shows like Survivor and The Apprentice? https://press.aboutamazon.com/ ...
Alex Weprin / @alexweprin: In December, MGM and Amazon Web Services struck a largely overlooked deal “to predict content viewing and sales trends so they can forecast demand for their vast content library.” That same month MGM hired bankers to advise on a sale. Now here we are. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/ ...
Adam Barnard / @adambnard: Well, it happened... Let's hope @PrimeVideo has an appetite for more #Stargate content. #WeWantStargate #TimeForStargate https://twitter.com/...
Alex Sherman / @sherman4949: Amazon spent $8.45 billion on MGM to reduce Prime churn and because it can't buy most other strategic assets for $8.45 billion without regulators and politicians going nuts. https://www.cnbc.com/...
Jesse Pound / @jesserpound: Amazon is taking big, expensive swings (The NFL, Lord of the Rings, Bond) but I'm still unsure if I should view it as a Netflix competitor, a Prime customer retention strategy or something in between.
James David Patrick / @007hertzrumble: I suppose this will mean perpetual Prime streaming for the Bond movies (and I won't have to worry about my failing Blu-rays anymore). I've been reading a whole bunch of negativity about this deal, but MGM has been a carny act for more than 20 years. https://variety.com/...
Lucas Shaw / @lucas_shaw: Amazon bought MGM for $8.45 billion. That's $3 billion more than anyone else thought it was worth, and $2 billion less than MGM wanted inn an IPO almost a decade ago. https://www.bloomberg.com/...
Rep. Ken Buck / @repkenbuck: I'm deeply concerned by Amazon's acquisition of MGM Studios. Amazon's revenue for the first quarter of 2021 increased by 44% to $108.5 billion — the company's fastest growth in almost 10 years. https://www.cnbc.com/...
Claire Atkinson / @claireatki: Was there a $550 million price cut? https://twitter.com/...
John Ourand / @ourand_sbj: Amazon's Spring Purchases MGM: $8.5 billion 10 years of Thursday Night Football: $12 billion https://twitter.com/...
Mauro Carignano / @mauro_txt: crazy. amazon now owns hot tub time machine 1 and 2 https://twitter.com/...
Sonny Bunch / @sonnybunch: The good news about the Amazon acquisition of MGM is that we might finally—finally— get that ROBOCOP VS LEGALLY BLONDE series we've all been waiting for. https://www.axios.com/...
Richard Lai / @richardlai: Someday, James Bond will ride Blue Origin on a space mission. https://twitter.com/...
Alex Weprin / @alexweprin: Will Amazon continue to release MGM films in theaters? What happens to Epix? Will Amazon Studios and MGM co-exist? The story, with @Snoodit @PamelaDayM https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/ ...
Mike Shields / @digitalshields: No Time to Die. Or to Pee.
Patrick Smith / @psmith: The @NBCNews platforms team excelling themselves here https://twitter.com/...
Felix Salmon / @felixsalmon: Are these hours-watched stats numbers that Amazon releases? Or is this from, like, survey data? Is it... true? https://www.nytimes.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Sara Fischer / @sarafischer: Amazon announcing its 2nd-largest acquisition the day after being sued by DC AG for anti trust is a story itself —It's also happening shortly after WaPo announced a new editor, selected in part by Bezos —Amazing to think about Bezos navigating all of these interests at same time https://twitter.com/...
Tim Stevens / @tim_stevens: Does this mean that Bond writers are going to have to stop modeling arch villains on the Jeff Bezos rich gazillionaire with space aspirations archetype? https://twitter.com/...
Damon Beres / @dlberes: Although there is much to digest about this news, do not overlook that it involves the best name in show biz: Barbara Broccoli https://www.nytimes.com/...
Edmund Lee / @edmundlee: .@amazon buying @mgmstudios for $8.45 billion helps the retailer pump up Prime members and sell more stuff. That's probably why it paid a premium. (This isn't the tech-media deal you're looking for) https://www.nytimes.com/...
Sahil Patel / @sizpatel: Amazon buys MGM for $8.45 million. It's the first time a major tech company has bought a Hollywood studio. I, for one, am excited to see what they cook up for a “Thelma & Louise” sequel. Gotta love that IP, baby! https://www.theinformation.com/ ...
@kerrymflynn: “Ultimately, the deal gives Amazon more content, a respected studio in Hollywood and a stylish super spy. That will only help it further compete in the ruthless world of streaming.” - @frankpallotta https://www.cnn.com/...
Rich DeMuro / @richontech: Tech is chomping it's way through Hollywood in a BIG way. Streaming music, streaming movies, buying studios, entirely new entertainment forms like vertical videos and YouTube. None of the innovation came from an established player in the industry.
Matt Day / @mattmday: To the point about the ripe vintage of much of MGM's catalogue: the films Amazon highlights in its release are, on average, *39 years old.* The most recent new IP, as Amazon calls it here, debuted in 2001. *counting the first entry for franchises/remakes, where applicable. https://twitter.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Brian Stelter / @brianstelter: Amazon exec Mike Hopkins: “The real financial value behind this deal is the treasure trove of IP in the deep catalog that we plan to reimagine and develop together with MGM's talented team.” He cites “so many opportunities for high-quality storytelling.” https://www.cnn.com/...
Lance Ulanoff / @lanceulanoff: Just realized that by the time the next Bond film hits theaters, it could be “An Amazon Studios Film” https://twitter.com/...
Barry Schwartz / @rustybrick: Amazon Prime Video just got better? https://twitter.com/...
Alex Sherman / @sherman4949: “The real financial value behind this deal is the treasure trove of IP in the deep catalog that we plan to reimagine and develop together with MGM's talented team.” This season on The Voice: James Bond's Real Housewives https://twitter.com/...
Dominic Chu / @thedomino: As if I needed any more reasons to pay for an Amazon Prime membership... https://www.cnbc.com/... $AMZN (via @annierpalmer @cnbc)
Dan Grabham / @dangrabham: Ah great, so No Time to Die might get released this decade. https://twitter.com/...
Tero Kuittinen / @teroterotero: If only Norma Shearer had known her studio would be bought by a book store that exists in telegram lines. https://twitter.com/...
Steve Kovach / @stevekovach: I'd buy that for a dollar! https://twitter.com/...
Rich DeMuro / @richontech: JUST IN: Amazon now owns James Bond... and a lot of other movies! https://press.aboutamazon.com/ ...
Steve Kovach / @stevekovach: Bezos. Jeff Bezos. https://twitter.com/...
Britt Hayes / The A.V. Club: UPDATED: Amazon buys MGM
Marisa Guthrie / WWD: Amazon Buys MGM Studios to Juice Content Library
Dave Pell / Substack: When Burgers Flipped — “Imagewise, the [fast food] industry may have reached its nadir in 2016 …
Steve Kovach / @stevekovach: $500 million for one season of a Lord of the Rings show is equally as egregious. https://twitter.com/...
Peter Kafka / @pkafka: Context: Disney paid $9.63 billion (inflation adjusted) for Marvel + the Star Wars universes. https://twitter.com/...
Peter Kafka / @pkafka: Netflix started making its own shows and movies in 2013. So did Amazon. One them figured it out, and the other is paying $9 billion for James Bond. https://twitter.com/...
Josh Wilson / Forbes: Amazon's $8.45 Billion Purchase Of James Bond Studio MGM Adds Another Layer To The Streaming Wars
The Under60 Daily: 26th May 2021 — Welcome to another edition of The Under60 Daily - a brief rundown …
Mandalit del Barco / NPR: Amazon Makes A Deal To Buy MGM For Nearly $8.5 Billion
Wesley Hilliard / AppleInsider: Amazon acquiring MGM Studios in $8.45 billion deal
Dylan Byers / NBC News: Amazon acquires movie studio MGM for $8.5 billion
Sara Fischer / Axios: Amazon to acquire MGM Studios for $8.5 billion
Chris Lindahl / IndieWire: Amazon Will Buy MGM Film and Television in $8.45 Billion Deal: Netflix, Look Out
Jon Porter / The Verge: Amazon buys MGM for $8.45 billion
Karan Deep Singh / New York Times:
Twitter criticizes the Indian government's “intimidation tactics” and says it will push for changes to regulations that give it more authority over online media — The social media platform criticized what it called “intimidation tactics,” saying it would push back on new rules …
Discussion:
Bill Toulas / TechNadu: Twitter Responds to Indian Police Visit to Its Local Offices and Asks for Law Changes
Soumyarendra Barik / Entrackr: Twitter says it is ‘concerned’ about its India employees
Brett Molina / USA Today:
Philo announces plans to increase its monthly price from $20 a month to $25 a month for new subscribers, starting June 8 — Another streaming service is planning to raise prices, but the hike will only impact new subscribers. — Philo announced Tuesday plans to increase its monthly price …
John Hopewell / Variety:
HBO Max shares details of its June 29 launch in Latin America and the Caribbean, at a starting price of $3/month, including UEFA Champions League soccer games — Presenting its plans for Latin America on Wednesday at an online pre-launch presentation, HBO Max may have just given an inkling …
Discussion:
Richard Middleton / TBI Vision: HBO Max sets Lat Am launch date, despite WarnerMedia/Discovery deal
Jonathan Easton / Digital TV Europe: HBO Max gets first international expansion to LATAM and Caribbean on June 29
David Folkenflik / @davidfolkenflik:
[Thread] Union members at multiple Tribune newspapers say they have been told that Alden Global Capital intends to seek voluntary buyouts company-wide — News: Union members at multiple Tribune newspapers say they're told Alden Global Capital intends to seek voluntary buyouts company-wide. Note: Alden just loaded Tribune w $278MM in debt for its $630+ acquisition of newspaper chain. Imagine layoffs ensue if buyout goals not met.
Discussion:
Chicago Tribune, Media Nation, @benyt, @karenkho, @bwdbwdbwd, @jdeleon1012, @nicdawes, @audreyhasnews, @jrosenbaum, @fredtopel, @jhweissmann, @mattlindner, @mcallguild, @chrisrongey, @maggie4beers, @byjonharris, @acnatta, @colbyitkowitz, @rexhuppke, @davidhaugh, @zack_pearson, @thenewsan, @billpascrell, @jesseapaul, @brdispatch, @binghuihuang, @rtd_mikebarber, @annaleighclark, @maustermuhle, @os_guild, @saragregory, @elaheizadi, @brittanywallman, @lvstories and @elaheizadi
Discussion:
Robert Channick / Chicago Tribune: Tribune Publishing offering buyouts to newsroom employees, two days after purchase by hedge fund Alden
Dan Kennedy / Media Nation: And so the cutting begins — Alden Global Capital is wasting no time in taking a chainsaw to its newly acquired newspapers.
Ben Smith / @benyt: The first communication to @NYDailyNews staffers about their new overloards is ... an email from HR about a new round of buyouts.
Karen K. Ho / @karenkho: The Alden-Tribune deal is classic example of overburdening a viable company with debt through the source of its acquisition. Short term gains for shareholders and investors but a massive blow to long-term viability due to severe cuts, sales of assets, and high interest rates.
Bradford William Davis / @bwdbwdbwd: love the work I do, hate the industry I do it for https://twitter.com/...
Jessica De Leon / @jdeleon1012: Predictable, but still makes me sick and angry. Hedge funds are destroying newspapers across the country. Communities will continue to suffer, as will our democracy. #savelocalnews https://www.chicagotribune.com/ ...
Nicholas Dawes / @nicdawes: “Cost-cutting” sounds like a virtuous thing. Costs feel ... bad, after all. I think we need another term for what Alden does. Even job-killing is too narrow. https://www.chicagotribune.com/ ...
Audrey Cooper / @audreyhasnews: Abstention was not a good idea for democracy, methinks. https://twitter.com/...
Jason Rosenbaum / @jrosenbaum: This Tribune news hits viscerally because I've cited reading the Chicago Tribune daily as a rationale for going into journalism. Newspapers failed early on to get news consumers accustomed to pay for news. But they also crashed and burned by getting into stupid deals like this: https://twitter.com/...
@fredtopel: This is why we freelance. Neither a staff job nor a union job is safe from buyouts/layoffs, especially in the media biz, but you can't get fired from freelancing. You can lose clients but you won't lose everything and you'll find more. @cafwu https://twitter.com/...
Jordan Weissmann / @jhweissmann: Chicago really feels like the perfect city to experiment with a big, new nonprofit news outlet right now https://twitter.com/...
Matt Lindner / @mattlindner: Who could've seen this coming besides LITERALLY EVERYBODY https://twitter.com/...
@mcallguild: Take a company with no debt. Borrow heavily from one of your other companies and ram through a takeover. Then saddle that company with the debt and start buying out workers. We aren't business experts but we know that's not creating sustainable future. That's siphoning out cash. https://twitter.com/...
@maggie4beers: The internet isn't killing newspapers, hedge funds kill newspapers https://twitter.com/...
Jon Harris / @byjonharris: Just a couple days ago, Tribune had no debt, $250 million in cash and had trimmed expenses by more than 30% in one year. Now owned by Alden, Tribune has $278 million in debt and is looking to cut more, via buyouts offered to newsroom employees. https://twitter.com/...
Colby Itkowitz / @colbyitkowitz: This hurts my heart. Sending love to all my former @mcall colleagues. https://www.chicagotribune.com/ ...
David Haugh / @davidhaugh: Predictable. Awful. Sad. https://twitter.com/...
Zack Pearson / @zack_pearson: Terrible. Terrible. Terrible. And sadly, not surprising. https://twitter.com/...
Susan Gonzalez / @thenewsan: It pains me to say this, but layoffs are likely imminent. This is how Alden operates. https://twitter.com/...
Bill Pascrell, Jr / @billpascrell: Wall Street pirates like these guys suck companies dry like vampire squid, line their pockets with greed, strangle the business with debt, and then fire workers before fleeing town. Awful. https://twitter.com/...
Jesse Aaron Paul / @jesseapaul: Last week, per @AP ... In a statement, Alden said the move “reaffirms our commitment to the newspaper industry” and its focus on retooling publications so they can “operate sustainably over the long term.” https://twitter.com/...
Bill Rabinowitz / @brdispatch: Terribly sad. Alden is an affront to journalism. https://twitter.com/...
@binghuihuang: Crazy how each time this happens, I STILL think “but how can they cut any deeper?” https://twitter.com/...
Mike Barber / @rtd_mikebarber: Really wish the government would step in and protect the fourth estate. The founders of this country recognized the importance of a free press. Feels like too many current politicians just view the press as the people who expose their errors and corruption... https://twitter.com/...
Anna Clark / @annaleighclark: More strip-mining of journalism. Don't let the rhetoric of inevitability — newspapers are dying, there's no market for local news, etc. — stand as a cover story. https://twitter.com/...
Martin Austermuhle / @maustermuhle: This is the worst. Vultures. https://twitter.com/...
@os_guild: This is not surprising, but it is sickening. Days after forcing Tribune to take on $278 million in debt for its own purchase, Alden is offering buyouts. Fewer journalists lead to a community where people are less informed and corruption can go unchecked. https://twitter.com/...
Sara Gregory / @saragregory: I see you, buyout offer news, and am going to put my head down and keep working on a really important story. https://twitter.com/...
Elahe Izadi / @elaheizadi: All fulltime employees are eligible for buyouts at Tribune papers around the country. Less than 3 years: 8 weeks of pay More than 3 years: 12 weeks of pay + one additional week for every year of service after the 3rd year. Deadline to volunteer: June 9.
Brittany Wallman / @brittanywallman: Sad news, second day: Tribune Publishing Company under new Alden ownership is offering us money to quit. As with past buyout offers, I remain committed to this work and I love my job. I'm riding this train to the end of the line.
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